HAGALAS – As A Unit EP

Finland’s Hagalas are often promoted as a death metal band, but as with so many Scandinavian acts, their music has far more depth, and more of an interest in actual melodies than your average death-based act. Yes, the four songs on their ‘As A Unit’ EP come weighted down by some very aggressive vocals, but most of the time, frontman Kailie Kohonen’s approach doesn’t even venture into the old school growls and grunts associated with the genre. In fact, it’s fair to say that plugging them as a death band is to sell them short. Very short.

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ZERO FIRE – The Attic Sessions EP

Canadian metal band Zero Fire’s second EP ‘Second Sun’ was packed with great riffs. By creating a brand of melodic metalcore that also included nods to groove metal and contrasted its heaviness with use of clean vocals, it managed to be very broad in appeal. A year on, ‘The Attic Sessions’ offers fans and newcomers a couple of live recordings that demonstrate both extremes of the band’s sound. While a new studio recording would have been preferable – and a full length album better still – this EP has the benefit of giving a premier to a pair of previously unrecorded tracks.

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August Burns Red release new video for ‘Bones’

American metalcore titans August Burns Red released their ninth studio album ‘Guardians’ on April 3rd. A disc that’s been very well received by fans, it’s a record that presents the band in a very heavy mood, but also one that’s packed with great songs.

A new video for the current single ‘Bones’ appeared on YouTube on April 7th. It provides a perfect snapshot of what to expect from the rest of the new album. You can stream the whole clip below.

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FROM UNDER CONCRETE KINGS – Modus Exodus EP

Prior to forming From Under Concrete Kings, vocalist Joseph Isayea and bassist Previte had spent many years working together in various other bands. Between Previte’s love of heavy distortion and a frontman capable of creating a sound that raised the bar in terms of deep intensive growls, the duo soon marked themselves out as being able to create a truly fearsome sound. While they obviously understand each other and share a similar vision in terms of creativity, it was the addition of drummer Freddy Valesco (sometime of hardcore band Great American Ghost) that made things finally gel.

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From Under Concrete Kings unveil new video for ‘Snakecrusher’

On February 14th, progressive death metal band From Under Concrete Kings will release their second EP, ‘Modus Exodus’. The new release features four absolutely crushing pieces of music that blends death metal vocals with metalcore and progressive metal riffs, Djent influenced lead guitar work and a frightening lack of boundaries. It’s a release that all fans of inventive and extreme metal shouldn’t miss.

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